Connecting device.



w. H. McLAUGHLlN.

. CONNECTING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 21, 1917.

Patented Mar. 26, 1918.

I warren stares rarrrr t me.

WILLIAM H. MoLAUGI-ILIN, 0F HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO CASSIUSS. CHASE, OF HARTFGRID, CONNECTICUT.

CONN EGTING DEVICE.

Application filed June 21, 1917.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM H. Mo- LAUGHLIN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inConnecting Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to chain link connectors or fasteners intended byapplicant -more particularly for use with anti-skid chains, of the fixedpoint type, for automobile trucks. However, the invention is not at alllimited to this use, but is capable of use to advantage in a great manyways in many different arts. As shown in the first figure of thedrawing, it is used to connect the terminal links of an anti-skid chain,as above mentioned. However, it may be used just as easily to connectthe terminal links of two or more chains.

The primary object of this invention is to provide means, movable withrelation to each other and their casing, to receive and hold chain linksand the like against disengagement therefrom. Other objects are, toprovide a casing in which said parts move and by which they are held,braced and guided; to provide for the locking of said means in closedposition; to provide for expeditious, easy and cheap repair orreplacement of parts; to increase durability and simplicity and securecompactness, while at the same time decreasing the cost of manufacture,all of which objects, among others, are accomplished by the combination,construction and arrangement of parts, all as hereinafter moreparticularly set forth, describedand claimed.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 represents a central longitudinal sectional view of a deviceembodying my invention, the blocks and hooks being in side elevation, asapplied to the felly of a wheel, also shown in section, the ends of ananti-skidding chain being applied to the hooks or projections, which areclosed;

Fig. 2, a similar view of the connector alone, the hooks being in openor separated position;

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 26, 191%.

Serial No. 176,131.

Fig. 3, a detail perspective view of all the parts separated; and i Fig.1, a detail plan view, broken away, showing a modified form of the meansfor locking the blocks.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, A indicates the anti-skiddingchain having its terminal links passed over the hooks 8, B the solidrubber tire and C the felly of the wheel to which the connector may beattached and will be attached in the use contemplated by applicant.

The casing of the device is composed of a recessed front plate or cap 1having parallel inner side faces and parallel inner end faces which areat right angles to the inner face of its front wall, which face isparallel to the inner face of the base plate 2. It is important that allof said faces be straight and smooth to engage at all points and braceand guide the blocks 7 hereinafter described.

Both the front plate 1 and base plate 2 are the same in outline, of thesame size and provided with two lateral lugs v3, one on each end, and onopposite sides, of the plates. These lugs 3 are provided withperforations 4: to receive fastening bolts 5, which, passing through theperforations in the lugs of both plates and into the felly or otherobject on which the device is mounted, firmly hold the plates 1 and 2together and the device as a whole on the felly or other object.

The front wall of plate 1 is provided with a central longitudinal slot6. The recess of this plate is just wide enough and just deep enough toreceive the blocks 7 -snugly, the rear faces of these plates 7 lyingflush with the edges of said recess while their front faces are inengagement at all points with the inner face of plate 1 and their sidefaces are in engagement with the side walls of said recess. Further,this recess will be slightly longer than the combined length of saidblocks 7 in order that said blocks may have longitudinal movementtherein.

These blocks? are provided with hooks or projections 8, which may beintegral with said blocks as shown, and are to be made and projectingthrough the slot 6 of said plate.

It is to be noted that the distance between the ends of slot 6 and therespective end walls of the recess corresponds to the dis tance betweenthe outer ends of the blocks 7 and the outer sides of their respectivehooks 0r projections 8, in order that, in locked position, the blockindirectly acted on by the locking means may engage the wall of the endof said slot and the end wall of the recess and be firmly bracedthereby, as well as on all other faces.

To look these blocks 7 in place I provide a locking thumb-screw 9working through internally screw-threaded bore 10 in the center of oneof the ends of the front plate 1, the inner end of this screw 9 engagingthe outer end of the adjacent block 7 to force it over until its innerface and the end of its hook, which lie in the same transverseplanetaken at right angles to the'face of the block, are in engagementwith the inner face of the other block 7 and its hook 8 when the latterblock and its hook are in engagement with the adjacent end wall of therecess and the adjacent end wall of the slot 6 respectively.

p In operation, the locking means will be moved out of locking positionto release the blocks for longitudinal movement, one of the blocks 7Wlll be moved away from the other, as shown in Fig. 2, the chain linkspassedover the ends of the hooks 8, then the blocks will be moved backso that their. inner faces and the ends of their hooks 8' engage whenthe block away from the look ing means is in engagement with the endwall of the recess and its hook is in engagement with the adjacent endwall of the slot 6, and the locking means will then be actuated to lockthem in this position, orthe locking means may be used to force theblocks into this position, thus taking up any slack in the'chain orchains.

In case one of the hooks is broken the bolts 5 are to be removed, a newblock 7 carrying a hook 8 inserted and the bolts replaced. In practice,because of the construction of the particular object on which the deviceas'a whole is mounted, it may be found that the removal of one bolt 5and the'loosening of the other will allow the device to be turned'on theremaining bolt 5 as a pivot to a point where the two plates may beseparated by turning one a little more on the remaining bolt 5 than theother, and access to the interior of the casing gained and a new block 7inserted in this way, without the necessity for complete removal. i

Of course, where the device is applied to a smooth flat metal surfacethe latter may take the place of the base-plate 2, which may then bedispensed with.

In the modification shown in Fig. at a cam 11, mounted on a pivot 12 inthe end of the plate 1 and having its outer face flush with the outerface of the end of the plate 1 in locking position, is used as a lockingand re-.

leasing means instead of the thumb-screw 9 used'in the preferred form.Otherwise the construction and operation isthe'same in both forms. 7 7

All parts are to be of reasonably heavy rigid nonresilient metal toprevent canting of the blocks 7, which, with their hooks S, willpreferably be of forged steel inorder to withstand the great strain putupon them in the use to which applicant intends to apply them.

Obviously, this invention may be embodied in a number of forms, eachvarying in minor ways from the forms above described.

Therefore, it is my intention to cover all such modifications in theappended claims which it is my desire shall be given the broadestconstruction consistent with their wordmg.

Having thus described myinventiomwhat I clann as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. A connecting device comprising alongitudinally slotted plate, incombination with plates adapted tomove longitudinally of said slottedplate and having hooksproj ecting through said slot, means for guidingvsaid movable plates and means for engaging the end of one of saidmovable plates for locking said movable plates in position.

2. A connecting device comprisinga lon- V gitudinally slotted recessedplate, in combi nation with plates adapted to move in said recess andguided and braced thereby and having hooks projecting through said slot,and means working through the end of said plate to engage-one of saidmovable plates to lock the latter in position.

3. A connecting device comprising a longitudinally slotted recessedplate anda base plate, in combination withplates adapted to move in saidrecess, engaging insuch movementand at rest the front and side walls ofsaid recess and the inner wall of said base plate, and having hooksprojecting through said slot, and means -workin g said plates to locksaid plates in position. 7 4. A connecting device consisting ofalonthrough said slotted plateito engageione of gitudinally slottedrecessed plate and a base plate, in combination With plates adapted tomove in said recess and having hooks projecting through said slot, meansfor securing said plates firmly together and means orking through one ofsaid plates to engage one of said movable plates to lock the latter inposition. 7

5. A connecting device consisting of a longitudinally slotted recessedplate and a base plate, in combination With plates adapted to move insaid recess and having hooks projecting through said slot, means passingthrough said recessed plate and said base plate to hold them togetherand in position on some object and means Working through one of thelatter plates to engage one of said movable plates to hold the latter inposition.

6. A connecting device comprising a plate, in combination Withindependently mounted plates adapted to move bodily With rela tionthereto and to each other, and means for locking said plates in normalposition.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing Witnesses.

lVILLIAM H. MCLAUGHLIN.

Witnesses:

SAML M. HORN, WARREN D. CHASE.

Uopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

